MI SR0097

Memorialize Congress to enact legislation requiring Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund revenues be used exclusively for dredging, infrastructure, operation, and maintenance of federally-authorized ports, harbors, and waterways

Shippers and importers pay over $1 billion annually in federal harbor maintenance taxes, with approximately $1.5 billion collected in the referenced year but only $758 million allocated for dredging

The Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund maintains a nearly $6 billion balance while dredging needs remain unmet, forcing shippers to operate inefficiently and carry lighter loads, costing them millions annually

Current federal budget practices divert harbor maintenance tax revenues to other portions of the federal budget rather than their intended purpose, breaking promises to taxpayers and hindering economic recovery

Direct copies of the resolution to the President of the United States Senate, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and Michigan's congressional delegation